Landslide Racing Competition
Mechanics in Motion · Interactive
- Dimensions1.2×0.8×1.07m
- PresentationInteractive
- PricingQuoted by manufacture spec
Purpose & Scientific Principle
The exhibit consists of an operating lever, two tracks with the same length and inclination angle, and two circular wheels of the same size and equal mass but with different mass distribution. First, place the two wheels on the high ends of the two tracks, and then move the operating lever to make the two wheels roll down at the same time. Guess which wheel rolls faster? If you look closely, you will find that the wheel with the mass distribution closer to the center of the shaft rolls faster. Why is this? The reason is that the mass distribution of the two runners is different, and their moment of inertia is also different. The closer the mass distribution of an object is to the center of the rotation axis, the smaller the moment of inertia is and the easier it is to change the rotation state. Therefore, when the two wheels roll down the track from rest, the wheel with a small moment of inertia rolls faster than the wheel with a large moment of inertia. The moment of inertia is an important parameter in industrial fields such as scientific experiments, engineering technology, aerospace, electric power, machinery, and instrumentation.
How to Operate
Place the two wheels on the high ends of the two tracks, and then move the operating lever to make the two wheels roll down at the same time. Guess which wheel rolls faster?
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